Ralph Kenna


Professor Ralph Kenna is an Irish mathematician and theoretical physicist who is head of the statistical physics research group at Coventry University. He is a specialist in critical phenomena and sociophysics.

Early life and education

Kenna was born in Athlone, County Westmeath, Ireland, on 27 August 1964. He obtained his BSc and master's degrees at Trinity College Dublin in 1988. He completed his PhD at the University of Graz under Professor Christian Lang in 1993.

Career

Kenna was an EU Marie Curie Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool and at Trinity College Dublin. He lectured at Trinity College from 1998 to 2002 and has been with Coventry University since 2002. In 2005, he co-founded the Applied Mathematics Research Centre there.
His research interests relate to field theory, statistical physics of phase transitions
and complex systems.
Kenna has used quantitative approaches to track the evolution of ancient narratives such as Homer's Iliad.

Selected publications